Sewing-machine.



R. L. LYONS.

SEWING MACHINE. v APPucATloN FILED APR.8.1912 LQL, v Patentedept.4,1917.

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SEWING MACHINE. APPLlcm'oN msu APR. 8.41912.

11,236,794, spntedsept. 4, 1917,. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l 0 i i 6\ l I l ya( j 79 f ww NlTED @TATE ROBERT Ii. LYONS, OF VALTHAM,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK OSANN COMPANY, OF NEW` YORK, N. Y.,A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4t, i917.

Application filed April 8, 1912. Serial No. 689,220.

To cZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ROBERT L. LYoNs, of 1iWaltham, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful mprovements in Sewing-llllachines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart thereof.

This invention has reference to improvements in single thread sewingmachines and particularly to that class of single thread sewing machinesadapted to form groups of securing or sewing stitches and one or morelnotting loops so called.

One object of this invention is to sovconstruct a single thread sewing`machine lfor forming groups of stitches and one or more lniottingloops, so called, that said loops may be Vdrawn tight close to the groupof stitches and that the thread may be cut close to such tightenedloops.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a singlethread buttonsewing machine adapted to form a group of stitches and one or morelniotting loops, that lthe feeding movement `of the `thread `may bestopped, the hno'tting loops be drawn tight, and 'the thread strainedand cut close to the group of stitches and between the button and thefabric.

ther obje-cts ofthe invention will appear from the following'description.

rThe invention consists in such peculiar features of construction andcombination of parts as shall hereinafter be more fully de scribed andpointed out inthe claims.

Figure 1. represents a side elevation, partly in section, of portions ofthe improved sewing machine.

Fig. 2. represents a sectional plan view of parts thereof taken on line2--2 F ig. l1.

Fig. 3. represents an end view ofportions ofthe samcy partly on section.

Fig. 4. represents a diagrammatical view `illustrating approximately therelation of the thread cutter to the knot and to the work and itssustaining means at the completion of the sewing operation yafter thechain stitches are drawn tight.

Fig. 5. represents a detailview ofthe thread moving plate.

Similar numbers of reference designate correslionding parts throughout.

As shown in the drawings 10 indicates the baseof the machine `having thehead 11 and the comparatively narrow extension 12 having the throatplate 13 furnished with the throat lil and the seat or cavity 15adjacent said throat 14j. At one side of said extension 12 is adjustably mounted the support 1G of the guide plate 17 which latterextends over the top of such extension la and carries the slidable shank18 of the cutter blade 19 the hook cutting edge of which extends towardthe seat or cavity l5 so that said cutting edge may be carried across,above, the throat la when its shank 18 is moved longitudinally.` On saideX- tension 12 are the arms 20 and 21 in which is journaled the shaftl22 furnished with lever arm 23, the retracting spring 2li and the collar25 in a perforation of which is slidably engaged the pin 2G having itsupper bent e-nd pivotally engaged in a perforation in the member' 18 ofsaid cutter shank 18.

By such construction the `support 411G of plate 1T may be adjustedverticallyl and, in such adjustment pin 26 will slide in the perforationof the collar 25 and thereby follow the `vertical adjustment of thecutter shank 1S. 1When shaft 22 `is rocked in its bearings pin 2G willactuate said cutter shank 18 to draw the cutting blade ``19 transversely above throat lll. i

`ltotatably mounted in thebase 10 is the looper drive shaft 27 hai/ingthe pinion 2S and the wormQS) which engages the worm gear 30 of the cam31 rotatably mounted and having the cam groove plannedito effect, duringrotationof cam 3l, a series of vibrations of the follower 33, engaged`in said groove, and then to permit the partial rotation of thecainwithout effecting a relative movement of saidfollower, `whereby theoperation of said follower comprises a series of vibrations representinga series of stitches and a dwell representing a chain forming period.

The follower 33 is mounted on the shaft Sil; which is journaled in a`vertical bearing of the post 35 mounte'don said baselO. At upper endshaft 3i has the grooved arm 3G in the groove of which is mounted theslide member 37 of the clamping device 38, whereby the end of thetwopart connecting rod 39, pivotally connected with said clamping device38. may l i, adjusted along' said arm e@ to va ry the throw ofsaid rod,while the forward. end of said rod 391 is pivotally engaged .withthepost -lO which has the yao clamp 41 and is adjustably secured in thebase of the standard 42 of the slide member 43 which is slidably mountedon the extension 12 of the base 10, and has the fingers as 44 extendingthrough an opening in said extension 12 and engaged between the collars45 and 46 of the looper shaft 47 which is slidable and rotatable inbearings of the base 10 and is rotatable by the engagement of pinion 45of its collar 45 with the pinion 28 of shaft 27 while the collar 46 ofthe looper shaft has the flange 50 which is engaged in a groove of thethread moving plate 51 having the needle passage 52 and slidably.mounted in the base 10. v

rlhe head 11 has the lever 53 which is vi brated in any usual manner toeffect the vibration of the needle bar 54 which is con* nected with saidlever 53 by the link 55 pivotally connected with said lever and with the`member 56 of said needle bar which latter is slidable in the sleeve 57of the rod 58 and the latter is secured in the clamp 41 of the rod 40.

It will thus be seen that during the rotation of cam 31 its cam groove32 will actuate follower` 33 to eiect the lateral vibration, through theconnections therewith, of slide 43, the looper shaft 47 and looper 48,plate 51 and the needle bar 54 with its needle N in unison while at thesame time the needle bar and its needle and the looper will be operatedto form stitches. lVhen, however, the dwell 32 in said cam groove 32travels by said follower 33 no lateral vibratory movement of the needleand the looper will be effected but the stitch forming operation of theneedle and the looper will be continued.

The lifter rod 59 is vertically slidable in guides of the head 11 and ispressed downward by the spring 60 acting against the clamp 61 adjustableon said rod 59 which latter at its lower end has the laterally eX-tending presser foot or plate 62 having the fingers 63 and 64 formingthe means for engaging the upper edge of a button B, positioned as shownin the drawings, while the lower edge of said button is seated or en.gaged in the cavity 15 formed in the throat plate 13 adjacent thethroat 14. On said rod 59 is adjustably secured the sleeve 65 having atits lower end the flange 66 which supports the swinging arm 67 of afabric sustaining device which comprises the dependingmember 68 and thefabric sustaining plate 69 having, preferably, the clearance Vopening 70so that when this plate 69 is swung toward a button under operation theedges of the clearance 70 may support the fabric close to the buttonwithout obstructing thev passage of the needle. Preferably the sleeve isfurnished with the spring 71 mounted between the collars 73 and 74 ofsaid sleeve 65 and having the end 72, Fig. 1, which engages the arm 67and acts to swing said arm and its member 68 and fabric sustaining plate69 toward the path of the needle.

By reference vto Fig. 3l it will seem that by the release of screw 75the sleeve 65 may be adjusted along rod 59 to adjust the plate 69relative to arm 62 which defines the height ofthe upper edge of thebutton B when positioned as shown in the drawings. Such adjustment ofthe plate 69 is for the purpose of adjusting the height of the materialor fabric M relative to the center of the button or to its shanlb. `Themanner of mounting plate 69, so that its free end having the clearancemay be swung away fromthe position shown in Fig. 2, in the directionindicated by the arrow, is for the purpose of clearing the way for theplacing of the button B beneath they fingers 63 and 64 of arm 62 withthe lower edge of the button seated in the seat or cavity 15 of thethroat plate 13. In such placing of the buttonB the plate 69 is firstswung outward j and then rod 59 with its arm k62 is moved sufficientlyupward to permit of the insertion of button B beneath the said fingers63 and 64.

The upward movement of rod 59 is accomplished by the finger 76 of shaft77 which finger engages with the adjustable clamp 61 of said rod 59.Shaft 77 is journaled in bearings at the side of the head 11 and has thearms 78 and 79 the thread puller arms 80 and 81 and the lifter cam 82.Arm 78 is pivotally engaged by the rod 83 100 which is slidable in aguide of the baselO and has the plate 84 connected by the chain 85 withany well kknown actuating mechanism used in sewing machines for raisingthe presser foot. Arm 79 is connected by 105 chain 86 with the l ver arm23 of shaft 22.

On the head 11 is mounted the thread tension 87, a thread clamp havingthe meniber 88 andthe arm or clamping member 89, pivotally mounted onthe post 90, and the 110 thread guides 91 and 92. This `thread clampingmember 89 is actuated to the elosi ing position to clamp the threadagainst the member 88 by the rod 93 which is slidable in guides of thehead 11 and has the pin 94 115 bearing on the cam 82. d

Byslightly raising the presser foot 62 and swinging outward the fabricsustaining plate 69 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 abutton B can readily be 120 placed in the vertical position shown inFigs. 1, 3 and 4 with its lower edge engaged or seated in the cavity 15of the throat plate 13 and with its shank Z) extending transversely ofthe throat 14 whereby the per- 125 foration in said shank Z) is adaptedto receive the needle N in one or more of the stitch forming movementsof said needle. flhe presser foot 62 is now released, and in itsdownward movement its members Y63 and 130 engage the upfpeiI `edge ofsaidy button B and said membersGS and 64 with the cavity 15 of throatplate 13 thus form comple` mental button holding means. t l y Sleeve isnew adjusted alongfrod 59 and securedv inthe adjusted `position which isrelative to the center of thebutton shank b, so that the material orfabric Vm folded upon itselfand lplaced on said plate G9 will be locatedapproximately as shown in Figs. l and 4 of the drawings. t

After the adjust-ment of said fabric sus-4 taining plate 69 thesupporting member 16 of the guide plate 17 is adjusted with reference tothe shank Z) of button B or with reference to the fabric or material m.on the sustaining plate 69. The reason for so adjusting the guide plate18 with reference to the shank Z) of the button Bis to determine thelateral path of movement of the cutter 19 and said guide 18 preferablyis moved vertically to a point where it will guide the cutter quiteclose to button shank The thread cutter is not operated until after thecompletion 0f a group of sewing stitches and the completion `orapproximate completion of one or more tying stitches, so called, atwhich time the thread extends asa loop from the group of tying stitchesor knot around the looper and then upward through the work to theneedle, and said loop is usually drawn somewhat tight. The path of thecutter 19 is such that its hook end enters said loop of thread whilesaid loop is retained on the looper and cuts that arm of said threadloop which extends from the group of tying stitches to the looper sothat the length of thread that extends from the needle, after suchcutting, is of a length to extend from said needle downward, around thelooper, and upward to the point at which said thread has been cut, sothat quite along-portion of thread extends from the needle. l i

The machine is now started and is operated for the usual length oftimeto cfiect, through the stitch forming devices, the completion of a groupof stitches. In such operation the cam 31 is caused to make a completerotation whereby the follower 33 is caused to vibrate by the shape ofcam groove 32 until. said cam`rotatesto a point where the dwell 32 ofsaid groove holds said follower?) from vibration. The vibration of thefollower 33 is transmitted through shaft 34, arm 36 and rod 39 to slide43 and to the post 40 and rod 58 to sleeve 57 whereby during the,rotation of the looper 48 andthe reciprocation of the ne'edlebar 54these parts and the plate 51 are caused to vibrate with respect to thepresser foot 62 and the fabric sustaining member 69 so that, in itssuccessive downward movements the needle N passes alternately throughtheperforation or opening in the button shank and through the fabric ormaterial Vm. At the completionof said group of stitches,.whe1`i thefollower 33 is in the cam dwell 32, the operation of the needle and thelooper are continued for one or more, preferably three, `loop deliverymovements of the needle `whereby a chain, so called, `isv formed betweenthe looper and the stitches which secure the button to the fabric andthe thread extends from said chain around the looper back through oneloop of said chain and through thefabric or through the perforation inthe button shank to the needle and thence through the guides 92 and 91and between the members 88 and 89 of the thread clamp and, ultimately,to and through the tension device 8T which is set to so resist thefeeding movement of the threaddthat said chain stitches are drawnapproximately tight close to the group of stitches which secure thebutton B `to the fabric.

The purpose of the plate 51, in the operation above described, is toprevent the `1`novement of the looper' from dragging the loop of thread,extending from said work uto the looper, to a `point at which the needlecannot enter said loop.

After such completionr of "the chain stitches rod 83 is actuated torotate shaft 77 and to effect the lifting of lifter `rod 59 whichofcourse carries with it `the presser foot G2 andthe fabric sustainingmember or plate G9`whereby the fabric m and thcbutton B sewn theretoaremoved upward, that `is away from the looper 48. Primarily therotation of shaft 77 and its cain 82 effects the lifting of rod 93 andthe closingmovement` thereby on the thread`cl`amp member 89 which clampsthe thread against its cooperating member 88 to prevent the movement ofthe thread toward the looper 48. After such clamping of the thread thethread puller Slengages the thread and draws the same laterally wherebya supply is drawn through the tension 87 to facilitate the startingofanother sewing operation. Approximately at this time the thread puller80 acts to draw laterally onthe thread at a point between the threadclamp and the needle to take up the slackthread while the continuedmovement of the fabric sustaining plateGQ, with the work thereon, awayfrom the looper so strains the thread that the arms of the thread loopextending from the knot to the ,looper are stretched tight,alnproximately as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, whereby, that armofthe thread engaged b v the cutter 19 is in a particularly goodcondition, taut` to be severedy thereby, and as such severed arm of theloop is preferably that on which n the knots are formed the other arm ofthe loop extends to and through the needle eve, and is drawn through thework when such work is removed from" the machine.

By this mechanism `the sewing thread is knotted and such thread is cutbetween the button and the fabric to which it is sewn.

It is not my intention to limit my invention to the specificconstruction herein shown as I am aware that the same may be modifiedwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent.

1. A single thread sewing machine comprising a needle and a looper,complemental button holding means, and means for cutting a thread at apoint intermediate said button holding means.

2. A single thread sewing machine comprising a needle and a looper,complemental button holding means, and a thread cutter movably mountedto cut a thread at a point intermediate said button holding means.

3. A single thread sewing machine comprising a needle and a looper,complemental button holding means, means for sustaining fabric above oneof said button holding means, and a thread cutter adapted to engage thethread to be cut below the fabric sustaining means.

4. A sewing machine comprising means for holding a button, means forsustaining fabric laterally from said button and above one edge of thebutton, means for forming a group of securing stitches through saidbutton and fabric and forming knotting loops in the thread, means fordrawing said loops tight between the fabric and the button, and meansfor Acutting said knotted thread.

5. A sewingv machine comprising stitch forming means, complemental meansfor holding a button in a vertical position, a thread cutter, and asupport for said thread cutter adjustably mounted to adjust said threadcutter relative to the diametrical center of said button. j

6. A sewing machine comprising stitch forming means, complemental meansfor holding a button in a vertical position, a fabric sustaining deviceadjustable with reference to such holding means, and a cutter extendingbetween said fabric sustaining device and one of said holding means.

7. A sewing machine comprising means for forming a group of stitches anda series of chain loops, means for restraining the movement of thethread toward the work, means for tightening said loops, button holdingmeans, fabric sustaining means, a thread cutter' and means for operatingsaid thread restraining means, said loop tighteners and said threadcutter approximately simultaneously.

`8. A sewing machine comprising stitch forming means including a needleand a looper, a thread cutter inovably mounted and4 having a path ofmovement across the path ofthe needle, means for sustaining a shankbutton with its shank extending across said needle path, means forsustaining fabric against said button shank, and means for moving upwardsaid fabric sustaining means and for operating said cutter approximatelyjustable relative to said button holding" means, and a thread cutteradjustably mounted and located below the fabric supporting device.

10. A sewing machine comprising vibratoiy stitch forming means includinga needle, a looperand a thread moving means located between the looperand the needle, button supporting means, fabric supporting means, and athread cutter located between said'thread moving means and said fabricsupport. A j

11. A sewing machine comprising 4,stitch forming means, a throat plate,a presser foot forming with said throat'plate complemental buttonholding means, a fabric support, and cutter located above said throatplate, substantially as., described. v j 12. A sewing machine comprisingstitch forming means, a throat plate, a presser foot forming with saidthroat plate complemental button holding means, a fabric support adjustable with respect to Asaid presser foot, a cutter slidably mountedbetween said throat plate and said fabric support, and means foroperating said cutter, substantially as described.

18. A sewing machine comprising a frame having a base, stitch formingmeans, button supporting means, fabric supporting means movably mounted,a thread clamp,'a cutter slidably mounted'. below said fabric support,and mechanisml for operating said thread clamp, said button supportingmeans, the said fabric support and said cutter approximatelysimultaneously.k

14. A sewing machine comprising a frame having` a base, stitch formingmeans, a cutter support adj ustably mounted on said base, a cutterslidable on said support, a rock shaft journaled in bearings of saidbase and having a collar carrying a slidable pin, said pin pivotallyconnected with a member of said cutter, substantially as described.

15. A single thread sewing machine coinprising stitchforming meansincluding knot tying means, a tension, means to draw Off a supply ofthread through said tension, to start a subsequent stitching. operation,and a thread severing mechanism.

16. A sewing machine comprising stitch forming means, work carryingmeans, means for effecting relative movement between the work and saidstitch forming means and for arresting said relative movement to effectthe formation of a chain stitch, a thread sev` ering` device operatingon the thread below said chain stitch, and means for drawing oit asupply of thread to start a subsequent stitching` operation and adaptedto move after the operation of said thread severing device to a positionto permit the thread to pass to the needle.

17. A single thread sewing machine comprising,` stitch forming` meansincluding knot tying means, a tension, a thread parting member, meansoperating Qn the thread between said tension and said stitch formingmeans to pull said thread through said tension and to hold said threaduntil said thread has been parted.

18. A sewing machine comprising stitch forming means, means forsustaining two pieces of Work in lateral abutment, means for effectingrelative movement between said pieces of Work and the stitch formingmeans and for arresting said relative movement t0 effect the formationof a chain stitch below one of said pieces of Work, means for taking upslack thread to draw said chain 25 stitch tight, means for raising oneof said pieces of Work to strain the thread and means to sever thethread.

ROBERT L. LYONS. lVitnesses C. F. BrmTT, HENRY J. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner o1 Patents. Washington, D. C.

